Tweed braces for flood

THE torrential rain and floods devastating Queensland have begun their journey south. Tweed residents remained on flood watch overnight, with the addition of a severe weather warning, as forecasters predicted up to 200mm could fall in the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads areas in the next 24 hours.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the entire Northern Rivers region, raising the prospect of flash flooding.

The Wilsons River at Lismore was expected to reach a height of 4.4m at about 3am (AEDT) this morning, causing minor flooding.

West of Lismore, about 30 people on rural properties at Tabulam became isolated due to heavy rain and flooding along the Clarence River on Monday.

And the wet weather is expected to continue locally until the weekend.

A rain band stretching from Maryborough to Tweed Heads has caused flood warnings to be released for the Mary River, Sunshine Coast streams, and both upper and lower Brisbane rivers.

Up to 322mm fell on the Mary River catchment at Gympie on Sunday night, causing flooding throughout the town, as the river approached a 20m peak last night. The entire south side of Gympie was cut off.

About 4500 homes lost power throughout Gympie and the Sunshine Coast, with power not due to return for some time.

In the Brisbane Valley, Kilcoy and Toogoolawah have been isolated by floodwaters and Brisbane City Council yesterday began offering sandbags to residents.

Local residents concerned about flooding should listen to local radio and monitor the Bureau of Meteorology for further warnings and advice.

People living or working along rivers and streams must monitor weather forecasts and be ready to move to higher ground.

Farmers should be prepared to move pumps, equipment and livestock.

If you require emergency assistance as a result of flooding or storms contact the State Emergency Services (SES) on 132 500.